Black Dog
by Vieve Roberts
Summary: What Happens behind the scenes with Sirius Black and Grimmauld Place in the fourth and fifth books? Follows the story of Sirius while Harry and his gang are off saving the wizarding world. This is an OC/Sirius story. Maybe we'll see whats behind that Veil
1. Chapter 1

Alta lurked in the shadows watching the Womping Willow and waiting for any sign of life from the tunnel that she knew lay beneath. It was the full Honey moon, the warm moon of June. She had missed being at school, it had been one year since she left Hogwarts and she was seriously reconsidering her life long dream of being an Auror. All she had done so far was learn very complicated spells, study, lose a lot of sleep and do everything she was told to do.

This was her first field assignment and hopefully it wouldn't disappoint. But Dumbledore had encouraged her ferociously over her last two years at school to learn all that she could. "_I have a feeling you'll be some use to us in a few years_" he had said to her in the beginning of her seventh year.

She still wasn't completely sure what that meant and it frightened her a bit. Her thoughts wandered to dark wizards and war. Still Alta felt special in a way. Dumbledore had requested that she to come back to Hogwarts this year instead of continuing her apprenticeship at The Ministry of Magic. He had told the head of the Auror department that he needed extra help watching after the school since the break out of Sirius Black but that it was unnecessary to send a fully trained Auror. She was top of her studies and ahead of all of the other trainees at Department of Defense. She had to tell herself that _this_ was why none of the others wanted to be her friends, because they were jealous. But Alta was smarter than that. The reason that every Auror in the ministry looked down their noses at her was because she had been in Slytherin. But that didn't matter now. She didn't need friends like that; she was involved in much bigger things. She had a mission. She smirked, self satisfied, then shook her head and made a look of determination.

Dumbledore had sent her here to watch after Harry Potter and his friends and she would do just that and not get caught up in her thoughts as she usually did. Dumbledore had trusted her with a secret and she had to grin proudly when she thought about it. She knew that Sirius Black had been the monstrous black dog that had dragged the Weasley boy away. She had still winced when she had heard the crunch of Ron's leg breaking, but Dumbledore had ordered her to wait until they resurfaced from the secret tunnel, then to watch carefully and intervene if things got sticky. Which she couldn't really see happening. She had wanted to stop Snape from following the group into the tunnel and ruining everything, but she had to keep quite. Dumbledore had said that Lupin and Black where going to explain to Harry. Convince him as no others could.

When Dumbledore had told Alta that Sirius Black might not be trying to kill Harry Potter she was sure that he was joking. "Might Not" wasn't good enough. Harry Potter needed to be protected form this mad man. Black was a Death eater right? …Right? But Dumbledore had been right. She could barely believe it. But Lupin had met with Dumbledore and her weeks before and explained. Black wasn't insane. Black was Potters Godfather. How had that happened? She didn't know why Dumbledore hadn't just told everyone it was fine, but trusting him was just natural now. Now she just went with it and didn't ask questions unless it was dire. Maybe that's why he had chosen her to work with him.

She inhaled and exhaled impatiently, pulling herself from her thoughts and checked the tree again for the party. She gathered her black cloak closer around her and pulled the hood up. It shouldn't be much longer. It had been at least an hour since they went under.

No more than a minute later the branches of the willow stopped waving and stayed perfectly still despite the breeze that rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees. She gripped her wand, ready for any trouble. Then she saw the fluffy orange cat pop up out of the hole followed by Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron. Then she saw Snape floating slightly off the ground emerge form the opening being held back by Black. Her eyes locked on him at his sight. She barely noticed Granger and Harry coming out of the hole.

She tilted her head to the side, distracted by the man that been a mystery to her for weeks. This was the first time she had seen him, well, as a human. Dumbledore and Lupin _said _he wasn't a criminal but he looked shifty to her, but she supposed that after so many years in Azkaban anyone would look a little mad.

Yet under the starved, gaunt face she could see how he could be attractive. His hair was midnight black and if washed she could imagine it tousled and thick. His eyes matched his hair and had a depth to them that Alta had never seen in any other. He was tall and lanky, a bit starved looking, but he still moved solidly, like a stalking wolf. She guessed that he probably spent a lot of time as the fierce black dog she had seen earlier. She shook her head. What was she thinking, getting distracted by Sirius Blacks good looks? No! Wait! Not good looks, bad, gross looks. But the smile he gave Harry made him look so much younger and happy. She had to wonder what he was thinking. Er… no. Harry! Right protect them at all costs.

Suddenly the clouds shifted and the moon shone down upon the party. Lupin seemed to convulse and Black froze, a look of horror on his face.

"Oh, my-" Hermione Gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

Damn! Damn! Damn! Now why hadn't she thought of that? Alta knew Lupin was a werewolf. She mentally kicked herself and drew her wand.

"Run," she heard Black whisper. "Run. Now." But Ron and Pettigrew were chained to Lupin. They couldn't run. Harry ran at the chained people but Black held him back.

"Leave it to me- RUN!" Alta almost smiled at how he was protecting Harry. Then she noticed that Lupin was changing. Suddenly Black had turned into the big black dog again and was fighting the werewolf-Lupin. Alta began to run towards them to help, to get Harry out of there, but then she saw Pettigrew transform into the rat and scurry off. The wolf and the dog had disappeared from sight for the moment and the teenagers were left with Snape still hanging unconscious. They would be safe for a moment; she changed directions and sprinted after the rat. To late in realizing that Black in dog form was searching as well. He made for the great lake and she followed, trying to keep up. But then he seemed to disappear. Damn, she had lost him _and_ the rat.

She jogged around hopelessly. Then suddenly she was knocked off her feet into some tall grass as something large, black and furry pounced on her. It was Black growling ferociously. She squeaked, terrified, then came to her senses and jabbed him hard in the stomach with her wand. He yelped in pain. He bit her shoulder hard and she felt blood soak her robes then he swiped at her with his paw and she was out. She woke up in the same place a moment later; she must have had a fainting spell and come right out of it just in time to see Harry rushing past her towards where black had stopped yelping in undeniable pain and was once more in the form of a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.

"_Nooo,"_ she heard him moan. "_Noooo…please…." _Alta looked around franticly trying to see what was frightening him so. Then she saw the Dementors. Tons of them coming strait for Harry, Black and Hermione.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled.

Finally getting over the shock of so many Dementors and the bite she had obtained thanks to Black; she realized Harry was trying to do the Patronus charm. She ran down just as Harry began to lose consciousness. Black and Granger were already out. She was about to perform the charm when she saw it. A silvery Patronus in the shape of the stag was warding off the Dementors. She froze. But who was casting the charm… she still had her wand raised when it galloped away and she saw that Harry had passed out and that the Dementors had fled. Her eyes wide with shock and fear. She hurriedly cast her Patronus, a massive raven, and sent a message for Dumbledore. Then hurried down to kneel in front of Harry; Feeling for a pulse. She sighed in relief. Thank Merlin. He was alive.

She looked over at Hermione and Black to make sure they were alive. They were both breathing. She felt dizzy as she stumbled to her feet. She realized that her shoulder was still bleeding and put a hand to it. Why had he bit her? She pulled back her hood and- oh. The hood. Her face must have been covered making her look rather dark and ominous. Add that to chasing him like a mad woman and he probably though she was trying to attack him. Well she'd get a chance to explain now that things would be cleared up. _And he would get a chance to apologize_ she thought while frowning.

"Wow," she swayed unsteadily on her feet just as she heard footsteps rushing towards the lake she felt herself falling then being caught by someone and the next thing she knew she was in the hospital wing. She heard the Ministers and Snapes' far away voices but couldn't seem to open her eyes.

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the Dementors… you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?" she heard the Ministers voice as if her ears were full of cotton.

"No Minister… by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances…" Snape answered.

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry and the girl-"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all strait back to the castle." Snape said a bit too proudly, Alta thought. Wait! Hang on! Gagged Black? What did that mean? Didn't they know he was innocent?! Hadn't anyone told them? Ah! Why couldn't she open her eyes? She couldn't even move. Was she in a coma? Oh no...

She began to panic. _I have to get up_. _Must… Tell... Someone... _then she heard Madam Pomfreys voice.

"…The Dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now-"

"WHAT?" she heard Harry scream. She relaxed a bit. That meant he was up, he would explain. She heard him get out of bed.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" Fudges voice came into the room. "You should be in bed- has he had any Chocolate?" he asked someone, probably Madam Pomfrey.

"Minister, listen!" Harry screamed. "Sirius Black's innocent…" _yes! He's right! Ask Dumbledore! Why won't you ask Dumbledore!?_ Alta screamed in her head trying to bring the words to her lips.

"WE ARE NOT CONFUNDED!" she heard Harry shout, she was having trouble staying awake. She slipped out of reality for a few moments and woke up to Dumbledore's voice. _Oh thank god_.

"I am going to lock you in. it is-" he paused, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." Alta heard the door of the ward shut and the lock turn. What was all that about?

"Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?" Harry said urgently. Alta found that she could open her eyes, just a crack; she was surrounded by white hospital bed curtains.

"Here-" Hermione said. "Ready?"

"What are we doing?" Harry asked. Then there was silence and Alta began drifting again. _No… must stay…awake_.

"What- what happened?" it was Ron. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?" Alta had similar questions but lay very still. She figured they'd talk more freely about what had transpired if they thought they were alone, except for an unconscious girl.

"You explain," Harry's voice said curtly.

She listened while Hermione explained how they had used a time turner to save Black. How the hell had she gotten a time turner? _Dang, I wish I had one of those…_ Alta thought. Hermione finished her tale. Black had gotten away. But he wasn't proven innocent? Did Dumbledore not tell Fudge? Or did he believe that Fudge wouldn't believe him anyway and it would be best to bide his time? It made Alta's brain hurt. But why should it matter to her anyway? Black was nothing to her. Harry was safe, that was her mission right? Harry, Ron and Hermione. Yes, yes. That was all. She just wanted Sirius Black to be proven innocent. It was only fair after all. Why did he have to go into hiding? She needed to talk to Dumbledore.

Alta forced herself awake and blinking she struggled to get up. Her shoulder felt stiff and sore but it the skin was healed and she didn't see any scar. She loved magic. She reached over with her good arm and pulled the curtains back drawing the attention of the dream team. They looked horrified.

"You! You're awake!" Hermione stood up angrily, "why are you here! How much did you hear!?" she demanded bossily.

She frowned. The students knew her, she had been at school last year and they had seen here around this year. But she hadn't socialized with them much. They knew she was from the ministry and she was usually too busy patrolling the grounds in secret or doing work for anyone to really notice her and none of the students actually knew why she was there.

"I am here because Sirius Black bit me," Alta said defensively. "And it doesn't matter how much I heard, Granger, I've been following you all night." she smirked at the look of surprise on Hermione's face. Harry and Ron looked too shocked to speak. Alta sighed and leaned back on some pillows. Had she said too much? Harry shook his head as if waking up from a dream.

"Uh… what?" he asked. Alta giggled.

"I'm working for Dumbledore," They all looked stunned and Harry a little annoyed.

"He thinks I need to be followed around?" Alta shook her head.

"It's not like that. It was just tonight. I was supposed to make sure you didn't get killed." She looked down and picked at a loose string on her shirt. "I guess you didn't need my help." She looked up. "It was my first field assignment as an Auror and-" Harry suddenly looked at her with curiosity.

"You're an Auror?" he asked. She nodded. "So you catch dark wizards?"

"Well, haven't had the pleasure of doing that yet, but," she crossed her fingers and raised them into the air. "I hope to soon." Harry laughed.

"But then you know that Sirius is innocent, right? I mean, you heard that whole conversation."

"Yes… er…" she paused, about to tell them that she had know for weeks, but she didn't get the chance because Madam Pomfrey came bustling into the room with a glass of strange lumpy, purple liquid on it. Alta crinkled her nose. _Novus cruor vinum._ She must have lost a lot of blood. Becoming an Auror wasn't just about being able to perform powerful curses and fighting monsters. She had, had to go through six months of magical healing studies and potion making. _Novus cruor vinum _was the blood replenishing potion and she remembered that it tasted a lot like how dirty socks smelled.

"Ah, good you're up." Madam Pomfrey handed her the glass. Alta held her breath and drained it, trying not to think about the taste.

"Ugh," she handed the glass back to Madam Pomfrey and wiped her mouth. "Madam, I need to speak to Dumbledore I know its very late but-" Alta got cut off.

"No! No! Professor Dumbledore will not be interrupting any more of my patients rest!" she shook her finger at her and Alta glared. "Now go to sleep all of you." You can leave in the morning!" and with that she hurried out of the ward.

"Summer Holliday starts tomorrow," she said flatly to anyone who was listening.

"I know, right!" she heard Ron say excitedly. "World cup!" Alta grunted.


	2. Chapter 2

"What's wrong with you?" Hermione snapped, still frustrated at Altas eavesdropping. "You don't like Quiddich?" Alta raised eyebrows.

"Uh… I was a Slytherin catcher for five years, thank you very much." She said curtly. "Summer doesn't scream _Quiddich_ to me. It screams family." She said gloomily.

It wasn't that she had to go home. She was of age; she could leave them all behind. Despite the fact that she didn't exactly see eye to eye with her parents on several issues she still would come home, at least for a while.

This was souly because of her older brother, Adrian. Only one year older. They were best friends. Even though he was the golden child that _they_ accepted, secretly he was just as "bad" as Alta. He had been in Slytherin, just like her, just like they had wanted. But he had done a clever job of making them think he was interested in the dark arts. Something that Alta, obviously, was not.

They had been supporters of the dark lord when Alta was only five and Adrian six. He was off working for Gringotts in America and only came home for one month in the summer. Alta becoming an Auror was what had tipped the scale for her parents. They barely talked to her when she came home and she couldn't wait to get out of the house after Adrians month was over. In her time away from work and her family, she lived alone in a shabby, bad excuse for an apartment in North Kensington. She sighed.

"I have similar feelings," Harry said. "Muggles." Alta nodded.

"Snobby pure bloods," she said.

"Don't get along with your family? Is it because you come into the light?" Harry asked, smirking.

"Not along with my parents. My brother Adrian is fine. I'm somewhat of a blood traitor." She grinned proudly.

"I thought you were a bit too nice for a Slytherin," Ron said jabbing his finger at her. She laughed and lay back on the pillows, wanting very much to talk to Dumbledore but also wanting very much to sleep. She closed her eyes and the last thing that crossed her mind before she went to sleep was Sirius Blacks face.

Alta woke to see that the Ward was empty save her. She rolled over and sat up with her feet dangling over the bed. She must look as awful as she felt. Her shoulder was still sore, _he must have hit bone_ she thought as she stood and shuffled over to the bathroom. She went in and looked in the mirror; her head was covered in her tangled black hair. The under layer of her hair that she had dyed emerald green made it look like she had gotten into a fight with an angry tree, which, ironically, could have happened. Grey-green eyes smeared with Black eyeliner peered back at her through the mirror. She turned the water on and washed her hands and face, scrubbing vigorously at the dried blood that had gotten under her painted, black nails. She sighed and walked back into the main room, grabbed her wand and headed for the staff dormitories.

They were on the fifth floor hidden by a double entryway passage that was disguised to look like the rest of the wall. One passageway ran to the female dorm, while the other ran to the male living quarters. She took the one on the right and walked further until she got to the entrance door.

"Ah… Miss Alta," the door knocker said. Alta crossed her arms. To make the door open you had to solve a riddle given by the very alive Door knocker. "I have a good one for you today."

"Lets hear it then," she said, Alta was excellent at riddles and puzzles and the Knocker always tried to fool her, leaving her stranded until another teacher happened by. The knocker made a noise like it was clearing its throat.

"Five hundred begins it, five hundred ends it,  
Five in the middle is seen;  
First of all figures, the first of all letters,  
Take up their stations between.  
Join all together, and then you will bring  
Before you the name of an eminent king."

The knocker finished and grinned proudly. Alta rolled her eyes, he was doing Roman numerals.

"Let's see, five hundred is D. _First of all figures, the first of all letters…_That's _I_ and _A_ and _five in the middle, _that's _V. An eminent king: _Hmmm D-A-V-I-D. David!" She nodded her head the door knocker growled and unlatched the door. "It was good, friend, but I was better." She winked and opened the door. She jogged up the stairs to her room and closed the door. She pulled on a violent blue T-shirt and black skinny jeans then bounded out the door and down the stairs thinking of going by the kitchens to grab some late lunch from the house elves before going out to enjoy the last weekend of the school year. The students would be shipping out the next day and she would go home and see Adrian and they would avoid their parents.

Lost in her thoughts, she bumped into someone on the way down the stairs and walked on, muttering a hasty apology.

"Alta," she spun around to see Dumbledore's kindly smile. His blue eyes twinkled happily. She assumed he was pleased about what had happened the night before, for the most part.

"Professor!" she said. "I didn't see you." He chuckled.

"It's a shame about last night," he said very seriously, wandering over to a tapestry and examining it closely. Altas Heart sank. Of course he was disappointed with her.

"Professor, I'm sorry I didn't do as well as I could have, but…" she trailed off not sure how to explain. He looked over at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Alta! You kept Harry and his friends safe from Sirius Black! How could that not be doing well?" she titled her head, very confused.

"Um… sorry sir, but then what's 'a shame'?" she asked.

"Why, that Sirius Black escaped, of course!" she was about to reply but he glanced at the walls and she realized that every portrait in the corroder was listening in on their conversation.

"Oh! Yes, of course!" she said. "It's just awful, having a criminal like Black still out there, capable of any number of horrific things." He nodded curtly.

"We'll see what happens," he said starting to walk away then he turned back for a moment. "Oh, and Alta?" she looked up. "You'll be receiving a letter, have a good holiday." He winked slightly so that only she could see then turned away down the hall humming to himself and pretending to conduct some invisible orchestra with his hands. The portraits burst into a whispering choir. _Completely insane, _Alta thought as she resumed her trek to the kitchens. She had a feeling this summer would be interesting.


End file.
